Warner Bros. Discovery in talks to merge with Paramount Global

Warner Bros. Discovery’s Chief Executive Officer, David Zaslav, met on Tuesday with his Paramount Global’s counterpart, Bob Bakish, to discuss a potential merger between the two companies, according to several media reports. The meeting reportedly took place at Paramount’s headquarters in Times Square, with the two CEOs discussing how the companies could complement one another for several hours.

A person familiar with the matter confirmed that Zaslav has also spoken to Shari Redstone, the family heiress of Paramount’s parent company, National Amusements, about a possible deal. A couple of days ago, some reports indicated that Redstone has been in talks to sell her stake in the company.

A potential merger of the two media giants would create an entertainment and news juggernaut, encompassing Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Global studios, as well as CBS, CNN, and other cable television assets. Regarding streaming, the merge could result in a combination of Max and Paramount+, which could make sense for both companies in their attempts to compete with streaming rivals such as Netflix and Disney+.